Support means for spray type containers



Jan. 21, 1964 B. R. LEWIS ETAL SUPPORT MEANS FOR SPRAY TYPE CONTAINERSFiled Nov. 24. 1961 Bernard B. Lewis Lea 5'. Smger Mar-fin KaplanINVENTORS United States Patent 3,118,645 SUPPGRT MEANS FOR SPRAY TYPECONTAINERS Bernard R. Lewis, Chicago, Leo 5. Singer, Lincolnwood,

and Martin Kaplan, Skolrie, 111., assignors to General WaterConditioning, line, hicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov.24, 1961, Ser. No. 154,416 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-312) This inventionrelates generally to improvements in support means for containers andmore particularly to support means for spray type containers.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of novel supportmeans which is readily attachable to a spray type container forsupporting the same.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a Support means ofthe foregoing type which is simple in construction, economical tomanufacture, easy to install, and efficient in operation.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent from the following description when the same is considered inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a support means in accordance with ourinvention and showing the same applied to a conventional spray typecontainer, the container bein supported Within the water tank of atoilet, indicated by broken lines.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of our invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view, on an enlarged scale, looking in thedirection of the arrows 33 of PEG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of our invention showing thesame in upside down position and with the components in separatedrelation.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of FIG.2 and showing the support means of our invention attached to a spraycontainer and supported on a vertical wall, the Wall and container beingindicated in broken lines.

In co-pending application S.N. 116,020 filed June 9, 1961, now PatentNo. 3,093,835, there is disclosed a room deodorizer comprising anaerosol spray type container and support means for supporting the samewithin the water tank of a conventional toilet. Our invention is relatedto a novel support means for supporting such a container in relation toa vertical wall of the tank and in other applications.

Referring to the drawings, the support means of our invention comprisestwo separable sections 16 and 11, each formed of suitable materialwhich, for example, may be sheet metal or plastic. The collar sectionincludes a substantially circular portion 12 integral with a lateralextension 13. The circular portion has an opening 14 therein which isslightly elliptical, the major axis of the opening being indicated bythe line AA. The circular portion 12 in cross section is formedsubstantially as illustrated in FIG. 5, there being a flat horizontalportion 1-5 constituting the marginal area surrounding the opening 14and a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 17 integral with thehorizontal portion. The lateral extension 13 is provided on theunderside thereof with a strap 18 which is welded thereto, the straphaving an intermediate otfset portion 19 to afford in cooperation withthe lateral extension 13 a socket 21 for receiving the tongue 22 ofsection 11 hereinafter to be described.

The bracket section 11, as was hereinbefore explained, may be formed ofsheet metal or other suitable material and includes a vertical bodyportion 23 to the lower end of which may be welded or formed integrallytherewith a tongue 22 having a reduced Width and of a size to be snuglyreceived within the socket 21. Integrally formed 3,118,545 Patented Jan.21, 1964 with the vertical portion 23 is a horizontal portion 24 shapedsubstantially as illustrated, there being a pair of embossments 26stamped into the underside of the portion 24 for a purpose as will behereinafter explained. The horizontal portion 24 terminates in adownwardly directed flange 27. Integral with the horizontal portion 24is an arm extension 28, the end portion of which is provided with anaperture 29.

The collar section 11) is intended to be applied to the dome portion ofa conventional aerosol spray type container 25 and to engage therewithin a more or less permanent relationship. It is known that the domeportion of the conventional spray container affords an annular shoulderas at 31, as seen clearly in FIG. 5, to retain the collar section 10after the same has been applied to the container.

In order to assemble the collar member and container the collar member10 is placed over the dome portion of the spray container with themarginal edge portion 32 opposite the lateral extension 13 engagingunder the shoulder 31 of the container. By pressing down upon thelateral extension, the collar section 11? is temporarily stretched ordeformed by the container dome which acts in the manner of a die todeform the opening 14 to a sub stantially circular configuration so thatthe collar section may pass over the dome of the container after whichit is caused to resume its normal elliptical condition whereby itbecomes locked to the container and more or less a permanent partthereof. It will be understood that the collar section 11) afterinstallation is swivally connected to the container.

The sections 10 and 11 are assembled in the relationship illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 3 wherein the tongue 22 is received within the socket 21 ofcollar section 10, the two sections being thus retained in frictionalengagement. The entire assembly including the container may be supportedon the upper edge of a Wall, as for example, the water tank 35 of aflush toilet as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5.

FIGS. 1 and 5 illustrate the use of our invention in an applicationsirnilar to that disclosed in my Patent No. 3,093,835, hereinabovereferred to, in which the cap 313 fitted 0n the valve stem of thecontainer is connected with a flexible tube 33 and an arm 3 actuated bythe ball lift assembly of the flush tank actuates the valve of thecontainer. The flexible tube 33 is passed through a slot 36 at thejuncture of the vertical and horizontal portions of section 11 and theend of the tube is received in the aperture 29. It will be apparent thatthe embossrnents 26 provide clearance for preventing the collapse of thetubing at the point where the tubing passes over the upper edge of thewall. It will be understood that when the cover of the tank is inposition, the arm 28 will be deformed downwardly to accommodate thecover.

It will also be understood that our invention is not limited to thespecific form of section 11 which, of course, may take other formsdepending upon the application of use. Essentially our invention residesin the provision of a collar section of the type herein describedconnected to any one of a variety of means for supporting a spraycontainer in depending relation to the collar section. The collarsection, of course, may be separable from the supporting means or may beintegrally formed therewith.

It will be further understood that the collar section also may be formedas from wire stock or other suitable material and constructed to beapplied to the dome portion of the container.

It is also within the purview of our invention to provide a collarsection which may be assembled on the container at the time offabrication of the same so that the collar section becomes a permanentpart of the container when it leaves the manufacturer. Under suchconditions the collar section preferably would have a circular openingnot ovalized, as in the case of the embodiment hereinabove described.

Various changes coming within the spirit of our invention may suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art; hence, We do not wish to belimited to the specific embodiments shown and described or usesmentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of ourinvention being limited only by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Means for supporting a conventional spray type container, having adome portion provided with an annular shoulder comprising (a) a collarformed of stamped sheet metal and having a slightly ovalized opening,

(b) the dimension across the minor axis of said opening being less thanthe maximum diameter of said shoulder and the imension across the majoraxis of said opening being greater than the maximum diameter of saidshoulder,

(c) the marginal area surrounding said opening being substantially flatand (d) there being a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion integralwith said marginal area,

(e) the opening in said collar being intended for association with aspray-type container whereby such container can be inserted through saidopening from a given direction,

(f) said collar being deformable when pressed against the dome portionto pass over said shoulder and to engage against the underside of saidshoulder to secure said container.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the collar is providedwith bracket means for supporting the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,825,348 Gurnsey Sept. 29, 1931 2,703,695 Pierce Mar. 8, 1955 2,874,835Poupitch Feb. 24, 1959 3,006,589 Drysdale Get. 31, 1961

1. MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A CONVENTIONAL SPRAY TYPE CONTAINER, HAVING ADOME PORTION PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR SHOULDER COMPRISING (A) A COLLARFORMED OF STAMPED SHEET METAL AND HAVING A SLIGHTLY OVALIZED OPENING,(B) THE DIMENSION ACROSS THE MINOR AXIS OF SAID OPENING BEING LESS THANTHE MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF SAID SHOULDER AND THE DIMENSION ACROSS THE MAJORAXIS OF SAID OPENING BEING GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF SAIDSHOULDER, (C) THE MARGINAL AREA SURROUNDING SAID OPENING BEINGSUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND